


All Roads Lead To You

by poprockshawty



Series: Undercover Lover [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Cats, Fashion Designer Byun Baekhyun, Fluff, Humor, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:53:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26063779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poprockshawty/pseuds/poprockshawty
Summary: History nerd Baekhyun is head over heels in love with Jiashuai, a fictional character in an online novel written by Lay Zhang. Then, one day, Baekhyun meets the university professor Zhang Yixing.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Series: Undercover Lover [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1357696
Comments: 18
Kudos: 47





	All Roads Lead To You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [throwthekey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/throwthekey/gifts), [Saharabinterahman (Exosquiche)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exosquiche/gifts).



> Happy birthday to Kirstel and thank you Sahara for being my beta!

Baekhyun and his best friend Jongdae sat together at a cozy café that often served as the go-to spot for their gatherings with their friends. Jongdae was so excited to tell Baekhyun all about the reunion party he went to the other day, and he wished Baekhyun would be eager to collect the tea as well. But as he talked, Baekhyun kept surreptitiously shooting glances at his phone screen, and it was getting suspicious. Slightly frustrated, Jongdae grabbed his friend’s wrists and shook him a little. “Ya, Baekhyun. Are you even listening to me?”

“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” Baekhyun lied as he tore his eyes away from his phone screen. Finally, he placed it face-down on the table and then looked up at Jongdae. “Tell me more.”

Jongdae sighed. “Do you even know who I’ve been talking about? I feel like you are sitting right here in front of me but your mind is far, far away.”

“You’re talking about Minseok and Jongin, right? Your friends from uni? And that Chinese guy? What’s his name again...Lu Han or something?”

Jongdae rolled his eyes. “That was a whole 5 minutes ago! Maybe even 10! I was right to say that your mind has wandered to a faraway place. I’ve already moved on to spill the tea on Yifan and Junmyeon but you missed all of it. Don’t you want to know how they became a couple?”

“Ah, I’m sorry…” Baekhyun giggled. “Anyway, yeah, share all the juicy details with me. I need to hear all of it before they arrive and join us.”

“Exactly! They’re gonna be here any minute so you better listen up.”

“Yes, sir. I’m listening.” Baekhyun insisted, stretching his arms. He even yawned, which made Jongdae doubt he could secure Baekhyun’s attention.

“Gosh, you looked so much more awake when you were scrolling on your phone…” Jongdae uttered. While Baekhyun still had his arms above his head, Jongdae saw the opportunity to snatch Baekhyun’s phone off the table, and he seized it without hesitation.

“Hey! Give it back!” Baekhyun demanded, lurching forward but Jongdae leaned back and kept the device out of its owner’s reach.

“Let’s see what you’ve been looking at on your phone…” Jongdae smirked despite Baekhyun’s protests. “Hey, isn’t this an online novel? Is it the one you’ve been obsessed with?” He asked. “Baek, how are you _still_ reading it? You seldom stay interested in anything for that long. Or anyone.”

“Jongdae-ya, this novel is _everything_. It's life. Where else can I possibly find something that's so well-written? The characters are so intriguing, the plot is realistic, and the best thing is that the author gives us really frequent and regular updates. That's god-tier content, luv. It's awesome,” Baekhyun explained and sighed contentedly, evidently still absorbed in the fictional world that he had been immersed in.

“Is your Chinese even good enough to understand all of it?” Jongdae questioned, but not discouragingly. “I can't with historical fiction. Ancient China? That's too complex. My brain just goes like _nope_.”

“Well, I do occasionally encounter some really difficult words,” Baekhyun admitted. “If you’d be so kind as to return my phone, I’ll show you what I’m talking about and then you can explain it to me.”

Jongdae did not give it back, and instead only squinted at the ocean of words on the screen. “Hold on, Baek...is this…”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on, I need to ask you what that word means,” Baekhyun ushered impatiently. “It’s on the very last paragraph. Toward the end of the first sentence.”

“You're reading smut…”

“Hush!”

“In Chinese…”

“Aigoo!”

“In public…”

“Jongdae!”

“You naughty, naughty boy,” Dae concluded, giggling in amusement.

“Tell me!” Baekhyun whined insistently. “You know what that word means. I know you do.”

“Fine! It means ‘vigorous’,” Jongdae answered as he slid the phone across the table towards its rightful owner. “You better hide that before Yifan and Junmyeon arrive, or you're gonna give them ideas. Ugh, disgustingly in love, the two of them.”

“You were the one who kind of helped set them up though, weren't you?” Baekhyun chuckled. “I haven't seen Yifan in some time now. I wonder what his boyfriend is like.”

“Well, he's wonderful,” said Yifan himself, who had just walked in, hand in hand with Junmyeon as they approached the table. “He's cute, and sweet, and patient with me, and—”

“Like I said, disgustingly in love,” Dae said to Baekhyun, shaking his head albeit smiling.

“Baekhyun-ah,” said Yifan happily once they sat down comfortably. “Meet my boyfriend Junmyeon. Jun, this is Baekhyun. We’re family friends.”

As they ate and chatted throughout the afternoon, Jongdae shared the highlights from his recent trips to Guangzhou and other places in China, while Junmyeon and Yifan also shared some anecdotes from the cooking classes that they had been attending together. Eventually the topic of their conversation had returned to Baekhyun and his obsession with the online novel he had been reading.

“Yeah, I admit I'm addicted,” said Baekhyun. “But can you blame me? It's so high-quality...deserves its own screen adaptation, if you ask me.”

“He's in love with the main character,” Jongdae revealed, taking a sip from his tea. “This ‘extra handsome’ guy.”

“Extra handsome?” Yifan asked, arching an eyebrow.

“His name is Zhang Jiashuai,” Baekhyun clarified, blushing a little. “And he’s just so, so charismatic. The man of my dreams.”

“That is so cringeworthy,” Jongdae teased. “Wait till you guys hear what the author’s pen name is. Sounds like the name of a porn star.”

“No it does not!”

“Yes it does! What kind of a name is _Lay_?”

“It's Lay Zhang,” Baekhyun corrected. “And come on. He writes really well. Let him live.”

“So well that you can’t help but shamelessly read his erotica in public…”

This made Junmyeon and Yifan share glances. They exchanged no words, but it was enough for Jongdae to infer that the couple had done more than _read_ erotica in a public place.

“Oh, okay, I don’t think I want to know,” Jongdae declared hastily. “Let’s change the topic. Shall we order the French toast?”

* * *

A few days pursuant to this merry conversation, Baekhyun’s enthusiasm for Jiashuai had not diminished in the slightest. On the contrary, he only became more smitten, and he blamed his feelings on the fictional character’s heroic act in the most recently posted chapter.

Baekhyun let out a contented sigh as he lied in bed, daydreaming about Jiashuai, the man of his dreams. He was actually at the liberty to stay in bed all day, since he was privileged enough to not have to work. Like his friend Yifan, both of them had wealthy parents. Baekhyun lived off his family’s riches, and just occasionally designed some clothes whenever he felt like it, much like how Yifan was trying to launch his subsidiary jewelry line under his parents’ company.

Idly, Baekhyun scrolled and scrolled and scrolled on his phone, checking every social media app that he used. He paused, however, when he came across an ad. It was about some sort of an exhibition starting today, in a museum not too far from Baekhyun’s place. The most thrilling part was that the exhibition was about the Qing dynasty, which was exactly the imperial dynasty in ancient China that Baekhyun’s current favorite online novel was set in. Baekhyun himself had always been a history nerd, especially when it came to Chinese history. He became so exhilarated that he was motivated to get out of bed, get dressed, and get into his car.

* * *

Inside the exhibition hall, it was dark and Baekhyun could barely see his own feet, although the items on display were illuminated. He rounded a corner and took a glance at some portraits of some of the most iconic emperors, but pursed his lips and decided that they did not look handsome at all. No doubt they attracted plenty of women not because of their nonexistent good looks but because of their social status.

Moving on, Baekhyun made his way to an array of items for military use, including armor that looked way too heavy to be donned. It really made Baekhyun wonder _how_ in the world these soldiers were able to even move a muscle after putting it on. There were also Russian rifles and French cannon, artillery, and ammunition, but as he read the captions on the plaque, he let out a chuckle upon making the discovery that the soldiers were actually pretty bad at using these weapons.

The adjacent section was about military leaders, which captured Baekhyun’s interest right away — simply because his beloved Zhang Jiashuai was a revered military general. He noticed that several pairs of headphones were laid on a slightly slanted counter, so that visitors could listen to a more in-depth explanation available in several languages. Smiling, he reached for the one at the far end of the counter, the only one that was not occupied. But the moment his fingertips landed on the soft cushion material of the earphones, he found that someone else also placed their hand on it.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” they said at the same time.

Baekhyun looked up and withdrew his hand slowly. “It’s fine, you can go first,” he replied politely.

“No, it’s alright, go ahead— ah, never mind,” said the man, who quickly grabbed the pair of headphones that someone else had just put down.

Baekhyun put his headphones on and pressed the button to play the Korean version of the explanation. He was not sure why, but he caught himself only listening halfheartedly as his attention had gone to the man who was standing just a few feet away. He was _just_ slightly taller and whilst listening, he was typing something onto his phone practically the whole time. He looked quite serious, eyebrows occasionally furrowing as he looked up and thought hard, his thumbs moving rapidly across the keyboard but still not quickly enough to catch up with all the exciting thoughts in his head.

As the audio recording finished, the man smiled to himself in satisfaction. Baekhyun then noticed that the man had a dimple on his right cheek. Now Baekhyun was even more fascinated, tilting his head slightly to the side as he continued to observe the dimpled man.

 _Wait a minute_ , thought the Korean boy to himself, _doesn’t Zhang Jiashuai also have a dimple on his right cheek?_ He remembered this very clearly because in the online novel, having a dimple was perceived to be a sign of good luck, but Jiashuai dismissed the myth. He insisted that the harder he worked, the luckier he got — he only believed in working hard, working hard, and working hard again.

Ridiculous. Baekhyun removed the headphones and put them back, shaking his head. Plenty of people in the world had dimples — not just a fictional character that he had a tunnel vision for. He was truly lovesick and this was getting out of hand. Maybe Jongdae was right; this was too much and Baekhyun should really rethink his life decisions and how he spent his time.

At the end of the exhibition hall, Baekhyun was led directly to a souvenir shop. After taking a moment to let his eyes adjust to a much more brightly lit room, he looked around. He took interest in some key chains, appreciating the intricate designs. He grabbed several of them and proceeded to queue up at the cashier’s. Right in front of him in the long line though, he discovered, was the dimpled guy he crossed paths with just now.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hello,” Baekhyun replied shyly and they introduced themselves.

Under this proper lighting, he could see that the dimpled guy was actually _really_ good-looking. Visually, all the emperors just now (judging from their portraits) were no match for Yixing — this guy standing in front of him.

“So, what did you think of the exhibition?” Yixing asked casually.

“Well, some emperors actually did a decent job, I suppose. But I can’t help it — the more I learn about Emperor Qianlong, the more I dislike the guy. I mean, his letter to Britain's King George III in 1793...I understand it was a diplomatic manoeuvre, but did he really have to sound that arrogant? Sure, it was strategic, and I get it, but that’s also partly how China missed its shot at modernization and opening up to the world,” Baekhyun answered, frowning slightly in disapproval.

Yixing laughed, but not at all dismissively. Rather, he was delighted that he had met someone who could exchange somewhat critical thoughts with him about a topic that he was very passionate about. “He was still an intelligent and competent ruler overall. He was right to be wary of British influence — India was already getting colonized at the time, and Qianlong was having none of that in his territory. Not on his watch. He had an interest in western technology; it’s just that national defense was much more important.”

“Hmm, I suppose nobody’s perfect. Though it’s undeniable that things _really_ went downhill in the later years of his reign,” Baekhyun pointed out. “People don’t give his successor enough credit for trying to fix the things that he messed up when he became complacent.”

Their discussion continued as they made their way to the small café right outside the museum. As soon as they sat down, Yixing could not help but ask, “how do you know so much about the Qing dynasty, by the way? It seems like you've already learned a lot about it even without what the exhibition had to offer. You'd put my secondary school Chinese history teachers to shame.”

Baekhyun shrugged and giggled. “I guess I just have too much free time and I watch too many Chinese dramas.”

At that, Yixing broke into a smile. “Wouldn't it be lovely if my works could have a screen adaptation,” he remarked.

“Your works? Oh! You must be a writer?” Baekhyun sat up in excitement and leaned forward slightly.

“That's right,” Yixing nodded. “I’m a university professor by day and a writer by night. Novels are kind of my thing.”

“That's so cool,” Baekhyun grinned. “I’m a fashion designer at my parents’ company, and an occasional blogger. I just do it intermittently though,” he shrugged, finding no need to commit or devote too much of his time to any particular occupation. He was one of the few lucky people who did not really need to do anything to make a living and financially support himself. Why bother when he could simply rely on his parents?

For the next couple hours they chatted about history, life, work, and a lot of other stuff. Yixing seemed very passionate about Chinese politics and cultural values, and frankly Baekhyun could not understand _all_ of it. But it was fascinating to see how Yixing’s face lit up and how his eyes shone whenever he got to talk about these things that he was so enthusiastic about. Yixing had very beautiful eyes. Alluring eyes. Actually, not just his eyes, but Yixing on the whole was very attractive. Baekhyun kept his chin rested on his palm, gladly letting his coffee cool while he listened to Yixing _and_ checked him out.

“I can actually share the eBook with you if you like,” Yixing offered. “I always include it as a recommended reading for my undergrad students. I promise it won’t be boring.”

“Sure,” Baekhyun giggled. “And if there’s anything about it that I don’t understand, I could just ask you, Professor Zhang.”

“Oh, certainly! I will give you my number instead of my work email,” said Yixing, still full of joyous energy that he got to find a listener in Baekhyun.

“I really didn’t expect that you’re a professor; you look so young,” Baekhyun admitted as they exchanged numbers.

“Ah, no, don’t let looks fool you. I’m old and I haven’t even achieved as much as I would have liked to,” replied Yixing.

“Well, we still have _plenty_ of time and a whole life ahead of us. There’s really no hurry. I like taking things slow and enjoying myself. Some call it privilege, others consider it to be unproductivity, but that’s just how I like to live my life. I’ll pick up the pace if and when I feel sufficiently inspired,” said Baekhyun casually.

“That’s very different from how I spend my days, but you offer a very refreshing perspective on life, Baekhyun,” Yixing smiled. “Maybe we can inspire each other.”

* * *

After the lovely conversation Baekhyun had with Professor Zhang Yixing at the café attached to the museum, their next encounter was a week after that, also at a café, but somewhere else this time.

Baekhyun quietly approached Yixing who was seated at a corner, typing away at his laptop. He looked completely engaged and Baekhyun hardly dared interrupt the professor who seemed to be on a roll. Only when Baekhyun saw a satisfied grin creep onto Yixing’s face did he announce his presence by clearing his throat.

“Hey, fancy seeing you here,” said Yixing merrily, inviting Baekhyun to sit down opposite to him.

“Yeah, I'm on my way to my grandmother’s place, so I'm just buying some cakes and coffee that she likes before I go visit her,” Baekhyun explained, clearly happy to run into the cute professor.

“Ah, what a filial grandson you are,” Yixing replied. Then he pointed at Baekhyun’s shirt and added lightheartedly, “hey, you're wearing red today. And on your way to visit your grandmother...is that a coincidence, or are you the Little Red Riding Hood?”

Baekhyun guffawed. “So that makes you the big bad wolf, huh?”

Yixing chortled too. “I find it slightly unrealistic that the big bad wolf was on his own throughout the fairytale. I don't mean to ruin this story for anyone, but it's just that, shouldn't wolves be in packs? Why would he be all by himself? Lone wolves don't survive very well.”

“Eh, well, he didn't exactly get his ‘happily ever after’ ending anyway,” Baekhyun shrugged. “But you're actually right. I've never thought about that. Even classic tales have plot holes, right? Like how Cinderella’s glass shoe remained as it was, while her fancy party dress and everything else turned back into the mice and pumpkin, or whatever that they used to be.”

“That's right. Even classics have plot holes, and even the most famous writers have made mistakes,” Yixing commented. “Maybe I’ve also got plot holes in this novel that I'm writing. I hope I spot them and fix them in time.”

“Ooh, is that what you've been working on?” Baekhyun asked, exhilaration evident on his face at the mention of novels. “Can I see?”

“Well, it's not complete yet. Not anywhere near completion. It's full of errors right now and I'm not ready to show it to anyone just yet.” Yixing saved the document and switched to another tab, but that did nothing to diminish Baekhyun’s ardent curiosity.

“Aw, well, at least tell me a little bit about what you're writing. Just a little bit. Like the theme or the setting or something. Anything,” Baekhyun pleaded.

Yixing laughed gently at Baekhyun’s reaction — it warmed his heart to see someone react like this in front of his very eyes. Similar sentiments had been expressed through words in the form of comments from his readers, and he appreciated them all. But to witness firsthand the emotions that danced across Baekhyun’s facial expressions was quite something else. And because of this, Yixing relented.

“It's about patriotism,” he revealed. “It's about different people, of different social classes, with different talents, in different circumstances, facing different struggles, but still finding it in them to love and serve their country.”

“I'll have to read your novel someday. When it gets published, I want a signed copy!” Baekhyun gushed.

Amused, Yixing smiled. “We’re still a long way from there. But it’s not impossible. I will keep working hard, and maybe one day you’ll receive a signed copy of my book. The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

Baekhyun paused slightly, mildly surprised. That last line Yixing said — it sounded familiar to Baekhyun. He must have heard it from somewhere, but off the top of his head he could not quite recall exactly where and when.

“Sir, your order is ready!” The waitress chirped and drew the Little Red Riding Hood’s attention. Carefully, she handed two paper bags to him and bowed politely. He thanked her and beamed at how fresh the food and drinks smelled, no longer thinking much about what Yixing said just now or why it sounded as if he had heard someone else say it before.

“Fighting! You can do it!” Baekhyun said to Yixing afterward. “I have to go now. Oh, by the way, I did read the eBook you shared with me last time — let’s meet up sometime next week and talk about it.”

Playfully he winked at the novelist, before pushing the glass door open and exiting the café.

* * *

After having a filling dinner at his grandmother’s house, the next day Baekhyun was helping himself to an equally enjoyable brunch at his best friend Jongdae’s place.

“Let's eat!” Jongdae began blithely.

“Aye! Thanks for getting up early and cooking for us,” Baekhyun replied with equal mirth. “Didn't Zitao say he's gonna join us? I'm gonna eat his food too if he doesn't show up soon.”

“Nah, he's still asleep. Said he stayed up all night last night,” Jongdae reported and shrugged.

“So? If you're cooking, I’m eating.”

Jongdae laughed, flattered. “If you're doing the dishes, I'm cooking.”

“Damn, I was really hoping it would be Zitao’s turn to do the dishes this time, but I guess that's life. You win some, you lose some,” Baekhyun chuckled and dug in without further ado.

“I'd say it's a win for you today. Congratulations on finally successfully harassing me into reading your favorite online novel,” said Jongdae jokingly. “I've read all of it and I have to admit, you really got me there. It's actually much better than I expected and it was totally worth my while.”

Baekhyun made a noise to denote his joy, and quickly swallowed his food. “Finally! I just knew you would give in. It's just a matter of time. You made the right choice and I'm proud of you,” he replied dramatically. “So are you ready to talk about it? Ah, there are so many things about it that I’ve been wanting to rant about, and I just figure, what are best friends for?”

Jongdae chortled. “Yeah, sure, we can talk about it. So. What do you think about Hongxian’s character? Do you ship him with Jiashuai, or is it too early to tell?” He asked casually, munching on a hash brown.

Baekhyun squinted in slight suspicion and mild confusion. “About which character now?”

“The new one. Hongxian.”

“Um...who?” He asked hesitantly. “Did you even read the correct novel?”

Jongdae rolled his eyes and guffawed. “I'm positive that I got it right! Because I remember the smutty scene that I caught you reading the other day when we were supposed to be meeting up with Junmyeon and Yifan. The _vigorous_ one. So I'm sure I didn't read another novel by mistake.”

“Yeah, okay, but I still have no clue which character you're talking about,” Baekhyun pouted. “Are you making this up just to troll me? You would do that; I know you would.”

“Ya! This is the _one_ time I’m not doing it, and yet that's the _one_ time you don't fall for it,” Jongdae whined. “Why are you like this?!”

Baekhyun shrugged. “Eh, well, whose fault is that.”

“Moving on!” Jongdae declared. “Hongxian got introduced as a new character in the newest chapter. I'm guessing you didn't catch the update last night?”

“I was with my grandmother,” Baekhyun explained. “You wouldn’t expect me to read erotica in front of her, right?”

Jongdae shrugged. “It’s in Chinese anyway. It’s not like she’d understand a single word.”

“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong. My grandmother is a woman of many talents.” Baekhyun winked. “I suppose I'll read the newest update today. And then, I’ll decide whether or not I ship him with Jiashuai.”

“Isn’t Jiashuai your imaginary husband though? You’d be okay with him having a love interest?” Jongdae asked, wriggling his eyebrows teasingly as Baekhyun as he finished his glass of orange juice.

“I see the transcendental joy of shipping is still beyond your grasp, Jongdae-ya,” Baekhyun shook his head and sighed. “Seriously though, what do I need to know about this character...Dae, you better warn me in advance, I don’t want to get a heart attack when I find out what he means to my baby Jiashuai.”

“Okay, fine. So about this Hongxian guy…’hong’ as in ‘red’ and ‘xian’ as in ‘virtuous’, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah, yeah,” said Baekhyun absentmindedly, not feeling the need to be invested in the character’s name when there were so many other things to be talked about. “An aristocrat?”

“Just a minor nobleman. His clan has the means to rise high in society, but _he_ is utterly uninterested in politics — he’s only passionate about literature,” Jongdae revealed.

“So is Jiashuai. Is that what brings them together? Their nerdy pickup lines?” Baekhyun joked.

“So far the gags have been tolerable,” Jongdae laughed. “But it was actually because Jiashuai’s soldiers were complaining about not having enough clothes to keep warm in the winter. Then one of Jiashuai’s subordinates mentioned that they could go consult Hongxian and ask for his advice. Because he’s sort of a weirdo in others’ eyes, but also a genius. He has all sorts of brilliant ideas that are like, _wild_ , but it solves the problem and gets shit done. He’s also mastered some next-level needlework technique that’s allegedly very difficult to learn, so he has quite a mixed but interesting reputation among the imperial court and within the capital.”

“Ah, interesting! I just knew that Lay Zhang would never disappoint,” Baekhyun commented, placing his utensils onto the plate once he was done eating.

Jongdae snorted. “I also know a couple of porn stars who would never disappoint.”

“Shut up!” Baekhyun giggled. “Anyway, I better spend today catching up. Be ready for my rants!”

* * *

It was after dinner when Baekhyun was all caught up with the updates for _all_ the online novels he had been reading. As he recounted his conversation with Jongdae over brunch, he scrolled aimlessly on the page where Lay Zhang introduced Hongxian into Jiashuai’s life. Contrary to how comfortable Baekhyun was when chatting about this new character with Jongdae earlier that day, Baekhyun was feeling a bit jealous after reading and seeing for himself what Hongxian was like. Just a little bit, but it was silly. These were just fictional characters after all.

Baekhyun read the chapter again, not at all concerned that he would become bored of it since he loved this author’s writing so much. But he froze at a particular paragraph — he did not know how he missed it the first time. Realization struck him as he reread and reread that paragraph, like a detective going over all the evidence he had gathered.

_Jiashuai smiled, his facial expressions exhibiting the tenderness that his subordinates did not even think such a cold-blooded General was capable of. “So what if you’re bad at archery and can’t wield a sword? It doesn’t make you useless, as long as you contribute in a different capacity,” he asserted, while Hongxian listened not with a soldier’s unquestioned obedience but with appreciative attentiveness, with an eagerness to listen and to be heard. “War isn’t just between soldiers. It’s between countries, and countries are made up of so much more than the armed forces on the frontline. It’s more than the thousands of men you see on the battlefield. It’s also about all the women and children staying productive, to provide the food and other supplies that soldiers need, so that they can carry on fighting. It's about different people, of different social classes, with different talents, in different circumstances, facing different struggles, but still finding it in them to love and serve their country.”_

That last sentence was what made Baekhyun pause and think. That line sounded so familiar, and he knew _exactly_ where he had heard this before — in the exact same wording, just yesterday, at the café, when he ran into none other than Professor Zhang. Oh shit, the Professor in real life, the author, and the fictitious General even shared a surname.

“This has to be a coincidence, right? Zhang is a common surname, after all...” Baekhyun said to himself under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. He thought he must be losing his mind, but the dots were connecting in his head. Could he have simply been jumping to conclusions? But then his suspicions were not groundless…

Ah, this was too much. Baekhyun ruffled his hair and got up. He put his shoes on and decided to go out for a walk. He did not want to listen to his own thoughts right now, casting them out and instead plugging in his earphones. He stuffed his phone into the pocket of his hoodie and played the music loud enough for his mind to follow only the lyrics to the songs and not his own suspicions.

As soon as an upbeat song ended, the quietness made Baekhyun refocus on his surroundings. There seemed to be a commotion ahead, nothing violent but just a bunch of passersby gathering in a circle. Some of them were crouching or bending down as if to inspect something on the ground. Out of curiosity, Baekhyun also joined them, squinting and frowning as he tried to figure out what they were so concerned about.

When he saw what was going on, it broke his heart.

* * *

“Hey, Jongdae,” said Baekhyun once he picked up the phone call from his best friend. “What’s up?”

“Nothing much, I’m just checking on you. How are you feeling now?” Jongdae asked. “You said you were just out for a walk and then...you saw a cat?”

“Yeah. Poor thing got hit by a car,” Baekhyun explained. “You know what the saddest thing about this is? It’s that everybody saw the poor cat, they kept talking about it too, but no one was doing anything about it. That’s what I’m kind of mad about. Like they just went to take a look and then exchanged a few words about it, and then left. As if nothing happened. What’s wrong with people?! How can they be so apathetic even when they see an innocent animal suffering like this...”

“You took the cat to the vet though, right?”

“Yeah, pretty much right away, even though I was freaking out,” Baekhyun replied. “There was so much blood!”

“And what did the vet say?” Jongdae pressed on. “Is the cat gonna make it?”

“Apparently its pelvis is broken…” Baekhyun reported. “The surgery is gonna cost like 300,000 Won, but the money isn’t even a big deal. I just hope it’s gonna be fine. It must hurt so much and it brings me pain too, to see an animal in pain. The vet said she’s gonna call me once she has any updates on the cat’s condition. I’m just so worried. It’s injured really badly.”

“I really hope it’s going to recover,” said Jongdae. “Keep me posted though, will you?”

“Yeah, I will. But aren’t you supposed to be enjoying your trip?” Baekhyun asked. “I forgot which part of Indonesia you’re in right now. You’re always travelling.”

“Komodo Island this time,” Jongdae answered. “And don’t worry. I will get souvenirs for you. You take care though, okay?”

“Hmm. You too, Dae.”

After the phone call, Baekhyun sighed to himself. He sure hoped the cat would be fine; for the past few days he had been waiting for the vet to call back, hopefully with good news. It made Baekhyun sad to see any animal in pain.

Baekhyun was about to put his phone away, but then it rang again. His heart _fluttered_ at the caller ID and he picked up right away. It was as if a huge dose of positive energy was injected into his veins and cheered him up.

“Professor Zhang!” He squealed, barely able to conceal his elation. He never cared much for being a student but he sure did not mind spending all day chatting with the hot professor.

“Hey, Baekhyunee, you called me? Sorry, I missed your call,” said Yixing. “I was in a boring meeting with some colleagues just now, since our Department Head wanted to implement some new policies. Stupid policies.”

Baekhyun gasped silently when _Yixing_ called him ‘Baekhyunee’. He had to breathe out and breathe in again before saying, “ah, are you free now? Let’s grab lunch together or something.”

“Well, there is this newly opened café right outside campus that seems quite appealing,” Yixing replied. “I also can’t remember the last time I had a proper lunch…”

“Are you _that_ busy? I’ll buy lunch for you myself if that’s what it takes for me to ensure you eat well,” Baekhyun suggested.

“Oh, I can’t let you do that. I’m older than you; _I_ should be the one paying.”

“I’ll let you pay for as many meals as you like as long as you eat when you should,” Baekhyun chuckled. “Just text me the address; I’ll be there in half an hour’s time.”

* * *

“I think meeting up at cafés has become a tradition for us at this point,” Yixing began, grinning fondly at Baekhyun once they got seated.

“It’s just nice whenever we have a time and place to chat and spend time together,” Baekhyun commented. The smile on his face became wider when their food and drinks were brought to the table. “So what have you been up to, Professor?”

“Oh, you know, the usual,” Yixing shrugged. “Grading assignments, attending seminars, going through reading materials…”

“I’ve been reading too.”

“The eBook, right?”

“Ah, that one I finished a long time ago,” Baekhyun replied.

“You’re a fast reader, aren’t you?”

“I just have too much free time!” He laughed.

“And a healthy amount of enthusiasm about history,” Yixing added. “I assure you, if people aren’t sufficiently interested in it, no matter how much time you give them, they simply won’t read any of it.”

“I actually successfully harassed my best friend into reading this online novel that I’ve been obsessed with,” Baekhyun boasted. “Now he knows what he’s been missing out on.”

“Oh yeah? What’s it called?”

“The title is ‘Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing’,” Baekhyun revealed, attentively observing Yixing’s reactions as he went on. “Historical fiction gives me life.”

Yixing’s facial expressions barely changed, but he paused for a moment before replying smoothly, “I’ve heard of that one before. I don’t have that much time for reading since I spend most of my time working and after that writing. But I know a thing or two about the one you mentioned.”

“Have you read it too?”

“Yeah, you can say that,” Yixing answered, smiling secretively.

“And what do you think about it?” Baekhyun pressed on, even though at this point he was not exactly sure what kind of a reaction from Yixing he was hoping to catch.

“Well, it’s not perfect, but it’s pretty good,” Yixing remarked. “You clearly love it though. What do you think was well done about it?”

“I love everything about it! It keeps me entertained and satisfied, it doesn’t shy away from portraying things as they should be, and most importantly? The main character. General Zhang Jiashuai. That man is everything,” Baekhyun gushed.

Yixing could barely conceal his mirth, grinning pompously now. “He’s flawed, though.”

“As he should be. Of course a character should be flawed. I like imperfections,” said Baekhyun, with confidence.

“So, if there could be something imperfect about the potentially romantic relationship between Jiashuai and Hongxian, you would be fascinated too?” Yixing asked.

“Well…” Baekhyun faltered. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel about this pairing or the prospect of the two of them becoming a couple.”

“Are you jealous that someone stole your man?” Yixing joked.

“I —” Baekhyun paused. “I know he isn’t going to spend the rest of his life in solitude. I just want there to be a way for me to enjoy reading about a romantic storyline for him...without feeling like I have to share him. Ah! I don’t know. This must look so silly to you. I know I can be immature at times…” he giggled shyly and covered his face.

“It’s alright,” said Yixing merrily. “I’m sure you’re not the only one who wants the main character to get the romance he deserves. To find love with someone he’s worthy of that’s also who’s worthy of him.”

“Yes! You put it into words for me,” Baekhyun almost exclaimed.

“I’m sure in your eyes absolutely no one can compare to Jiashuai, right?” Yixing chuckled. “Nobody can even come close or get on his level, yeah?”

“He is the only one who deserves rights,” Baekhyun stated.

“Right,” Yixing laughed gently. “But what about Hongxian? What do you think about his qualities?”

“Well, he’s unconventional...kinda.”

“Yeah, he is. And why is that?”

“Because he doesn’t do what other noblemen are obsessed with doing. They’re all so fixated on climbing up the social ladder, acquiring wealth, expanding their harems...Hongxian though, he doesn’t give a damn about any of that,” Baekhyun explained. “He just wants to have his own space to read the books that he loves so much, and to do his needlework even though that’s typically a task meant for women to take up.”

“Bingo.” Yixing snapped his fingers. “What you just said, especially the last bit — doesn’t that remind you of someone?”

Baekhyun shook his head in confusion. “No, why would it?”

Yixing chuckled. “Baekhyunee, I’m talking about you.”

Baekhyun’s jaw dropped. “ _Me_? But what’s that got to do with me?”

Yixing merely shrugged, the mysterious smile remaining on his face as he looked away for a bit.

“Ah! Tell me!” Baekhyun pleaded. “You can’t leave me hanging like this. My best friend does that with me so often and I can’t stand it. Not you too!”

Amused and impressed by Baekhyun’s devotion, Yixing relented. “It’s obvious you’re no less passionate about literature than Hongxian is. And on top of that, didn’t you tell me you’re a fashion designer?”

“Yeah, it’s not really a proper job but like...I occasionally do it for my parents’ brand. Why?”

“Bit of a stretch, perhaps, but you could regard it as a modern-day equivalent of what Hongxian does in the story — knitting and sewing clothes to his heart’s content,” Yixing explained. “If you aren’t convinced, what about his personality traits? His reputation isn’t all about how unconventional he is, right?”

“Hmm, I suppose he’s been praised for his kind heart too…” Baekhyun pointed out. “When he volunteered to help illiterate soldiers write letters to their families. And he did it for free.”

Yixing nodded. “A compassionate boy.”

“Yeah. A very good boy.”

“Indeed. And didn’t you post something about that injured stray cat the other day?”

“Oh my gosh, yeah,” replied Baekhyun, whose facial expressions now exhibited his concern for the poor animal.

“Exactly. Think about all the bystanders and onlookers before you came along. How many of them did something to help the animal? Even if they did take their phones out, it was just to film the scene and take pictures — they don’t do it out of the kindness of their hearts; they just want something sensational to post and to talk about on social media,” said Yixing, pursing his lips. “You did something good that day and I’m proud of you. Especially since you didn’t do it for the clout or any reward in return. You took the initiative to do it, because that’s what you believed was the right thing to do. So if I had to draw parallels between your personality and Hongxian’s character...that’d be one of the similarities.”

Baekhyun sat in silence for a moment. “I didn’t know you also tended to think so deeply about these characters.”

“Characterization is everything,” Yixing smiled. “When writers put all the effort into building their characters, and when readers appreciate that...that’s the best feeling ever. When we writers pay attention to the smallest details and we strive to get it _just_ right, and then our readers actually notice it? That’s so rewarding.”

Baekhyun’s face lit up. “Like what small details, for example?”

“Hmm, like...even the basic stuff, like a character’s name?”

“Oh, I know Jiashuai’s name means ‘extra handsome’,” Baekhyun winked.

Yixing grinned. “And what about Hongxian’s name?”

“Uh...let me see, ‘Hong’ and ‘Xian’...‘Hong’ is easy. It means ‘red’. ‘Xian’...’virtuous’. But, um, hold on, that...isn’t that the same as...what I mean is, isn’t that supposed to be the Chinese equivalent of the ‘Hyun’ part in my name too?”

“Oh yeah. Then again, ‘Hyun’ is quite commonly seen in Korean names, right? And so is ‘Xian’ in Chinese historical fiction. So I don’t know, maybe it’s just a coincidence. There are several Chinese historical dramas that have minor characters sharing the same names anyway, usually some palace maid that barely gets any screen time.”

Baekhyun was quite pleasantly surprised at first, but then he tilted his head to the side and sighed. “Ah, so you reckon it’s just a coincidence, since these names are so common.”

“It could be,” Yixing replied, remaining cryptic. “But if it’s _not_ a coincidence, then…”

Baekhyun gasped lightly. “Then what?”

“Well, then... _if_ there’s some special meaning behind the name that you haven’t figured out yet, I’m sure the author will find a way to communicate that to the readers, wouldn’t you say?”

“I…” Baekhyun nodded slowly, not knowing what to say. “I suppose so, yeah, why not…”

“Ah, it looks like people are starting to queue up.” Yixing changed the topic, pointing at the customers waiting outside the café.

“Oh, shall we go so they can have our table? I’m finished with my food,” Baekhyun suggested, taking the cup of coffee with him as he stood up.

“Sure. Do you wanna come to my office?” Yixing offered as they exited the café. “I’ve got plenty of books there.”

“Oh, wow, you just know the way to my heart, don’t you?” Baekhyun giggled. “I would never say no to reading. I’d love to see your collection.”

“Cool! Come this way then.”

* * *

Baekhyun was relieved to finally receive the phone call from the vet to inform him that the cat was fine, healing nicely after the surgery. Instead of sending it to a shelter, Baekhyun had decided to adopt it — the cat was just too cute and he could not resist keeping it.

“What shall I call you?” Baekhyun asked, watching closely as the cat settled in nicely in his house. He made sure it liked the food he provided, and that it always had clean water to drink. “You remind me of the cat I had when I was a kid. I called it Monani. Monani was a very special friend to me,” he went on, even though it looked like his new cat was too busy playing with a doll to be paying any attention to him. “Ah, I know what I shall name you! You’re going to be a very special friend to me as well, right? So how about...Monami?” He grinned, stroking its back tenderly. “I should teach you what this name means. It’s a French name, my darling. ‘Mon’ means ‘my’ and ‘ami’ means ‘friend’. So, Monami-ya, I will do a good job looking after you. I’ll make sure you have everything you need, and you will be in good hands. Don’t worry! You’ll be safe in this house and you’ll be treated like royalty.”

Luckily, without _too_ much of a struggle, Baekhyun managed to get Monami to cooperate as he wanted to take a selca of them together. The early morning sun provided the perfect lighting and aesthetic. Once he succeeded, he set the selca as his profile picture on almost all of his social media accounts, happy to show Monami off to everyone.

Moments later, Baekhyun received a text from Yixing.

Just as Baekhyun was beginning to type out his reply — and he was not a slow typer — it seemed Yixing was already getting impatient, opting to video-call Baekhyun instead.

“Baekhyunee,” said Yixing urgently as soon as Baekhyun had accepted and connected the video-call. “I just saw your new profile pic. Is that the same cat you were talking about last week? The stray cat that got into a car accident?”

“Yeah, that’s the one,” Baekhyun answered breezily. “It got surgery and is recovering now. I’ve decided to adopt it as my friend. It’s the cutest, wouldn’t you agree?” He cooed, looking away from his phone screen as he tried to use his free hand to scoop the cat into his lap. “Come here, Monami. Say hello to Professor Zhang.”

Baekhyun turned back to look at Yixing and realized that he had never seen Yixing look this focused before. “I can’t believe…” Yixing uttered, practically goggling at Monami at this point. “Baekhyunee, can you do something for me? Can you check if the cat has a birthmark? It’s greyish...on its right side, maybe an inch from its armpit.”

Baffled yet curious, Baekhyun did as Yixing asked, pushing Monami’s fur apart gently. “Actually, yes...there’s this grey spot…it’s shaped like a carrot,” Baekhyun reported, adjusting the angle of his phone so that he could enable Yixing to take a look at the birthmark. It was tricky though, as Monami did not seem to want to keep still this time.

“Oh my gosh...it can’t be…” Yixing continued, a look of disbelief on his face. “Baekhyun, I don’t know how to tell you this, but...that looks just like the cat I lost a couple years ago.”

With determination, Yixing rummaged around in his drawer. Baekhyun could hear the sounds of stationery and other items getting pushed to the side so that Yixing could locate the polaroids he was looking for. When he finally found it, he wasted not a moment before showing it to Baekhyun.

“Look at these pics of me and my cat from a few years ago,” Yixing explained. “It’s got the birthmark too. Right here,” he pointed, glancing back and forth between his old photos and what Baekhyun had been showing to him. He suddenly felt a lump in his throat and a gush of emotions in his chest. “They look identical.”

“Wait...you’re right, that’s exactly…” Baekhyun’s voice trailed off as he examined Monami from head to toe. From various angles he compared the color of their fur as well as the patches and spots that stood out, and found nothing to indicate any difference between Monami and pictures of the cat that Yixing had.

“I lost my cat two years ago and it’s been so long that I’d already lost hope. I didn’t think I’d ever get to see it again; I kept thinking maybe it’s dead. Or it’s found its way to some other shelter and has its own life now. A brand new life. Or somebody else had adopted it and fed it well and took good care of it. I just thought I’d never find out. Ever. But now, I just...wow…”

“Aww,” said Baekhyun cutely, while Monami in the background broke into a yawn mid-meow. “What was your cat’s name?”

“Luobo,” Yixing revealed. “I got the name from the carrot-shaped birthmark.”

Baekhyun giggled. “Professor, you are just too cute. No wonder Monami is also so adorable. Like owner, like cat. Or should I say...like cat, like human?”

“M-me?” Yixing blinked. “I’m too old to be cute. You, on the other hand...”

“Nonsense,” Baekhyun went on. “I named it Monami because it comes from ‘mon ami’ which means ‘my friend’ in French. It’s supposed to sound like the name of my childhood cat, Monani!”

“Ah, both of us are cat persons,” Yixing commented, looking pleased. As he smiled, his dimples were showing again. When Baekhyun saw this, he just wished he could reach through the phone screen to poke at Yixing’s dimples. (And maybe kiss them.)

“Hyung, I really want you to be reunited with Monami. I mean, with Luobo. You should come over and play with Luobo,” Baekhyun suggested. “Ah, no, wait, I live so far away from the city and you’re always such a busy Professor...how about this though? I can drive and bring Luobo to your place.”

“Isn’t that too troublesome? I’ll just —”

“No, no, I want to do this. I always have so much free time and nothing to do,” replied Baekhyun. “How does tomorrow sound?”

“In the evening? Sure, that’d be cool,” Yixing answered. “Let’s also grab dinner. It'll be my treat.”

“Yes! I’d love that!” Baekhyunee gushed.

Yixing laughed. “ _That_ reaction and _I’m_ the cute one? Aigoo, Baekhyunee, you just don’t see it yourself, do you…”

“Ah,” Baekhyun chuckled. “Well, you know the drill. Text me your address. I’ll see you tomorrow!”

* * *

Half an hour later, Baekhyun was the one who made a phone call to Yixing.

“Hyung! Ah, I’m so sorry, I can’t make it tomorrow…” he began.

“Oh, don’t worry about it, it’s not a big deal,” said Yixing. “What’s wrong though?”

“My parents want me to come to their office tomorrow and they insist it's something important. Whenever they say that, it usually takes up the whole damn day at the very least,” Baekhyun explained, rubbing his forehead as he did so. “Last time they lured me into a meeting like that, I spent the entire week in the office, and I only went home for three hours of sleep and to shower. I can’t even turn them down this time because they’ve already set up the conference. Apparently they’ve even invited some of their associates this time. I think they’re planning for some sort of a collaboration between me and a family friend who’s launched his own jewelry line not long ago.”

“Ah, that’s alright, Baekhyunee. I understand that work can get in the way. It does all the time and shit happens. This new project sounds like a good thing though. Just don’t overwork yourself and don’t neglect Luobo — I mean, Monami! We can always reschedule,” Yixing offered.

“Yeah, we definitely have to reschedule…” replied Baekhyun. “Hey, how about tonight? I really think tonight would work best...who knows how busy I’m gonna get once my parents push the collaboration through. I can tell you with absolute certainty: once they spot a lucrative project and they find that I can be useful, they will see to it that I devote _all_ my time to it. All the way till completion. No excuses. That's the way they do things.”

“I actually quite admire this mentality and determination,” Yixing smiled. “If you’re gonna come over in the evening today...well, I guess you can. I’d just have to clean up the place real quick…”

* * *

Yixing gave up when he was halfway through trying to clean and tidy up his place. It was just too messy, a reflection of his life in general. He simply hoped that Baekhyun would be too enthusiastic about meeting up with him and too busy chatting about their beloved cat to mind the mess in every corner of his place.

Perhaps he should never have even tried to make things tidier in the first place, because all his attempts had backfired on him once Baekhyun showed up and they let Monami roam the place freely. When Yixing was in a hurry just now, he had shoved a bunch of his belongings onto a shelf that was already quite full. It was only a matter of time before some items fell down, and when they did, there was a loud ‘bang’ which caused Monami to be startled. Before either he or Baekhyun could get to soothe Monami, it had already frantically run far out of their reach. It then leaped onto Yixing’s desk even though there was actually not enough space, and then more chaos ensued. His documents from work, the mail, his notes for other stuff — he could only stare and gawk while piles of papers became scattered all over the place.

When Monami had calmed down, however, it was Yixing’s turn to panic. He watched as Baekhyun helped him pick up the stuff that had fallen onto the floor thanks to the mess that Monami had made. Baekhyun picked up a piece of paper and handed it back to its owner. Even though he had no intention to look at what was on Yixing’s notes, it would have been impossible for Baekhyun to ignore the big handwriting at the top of the page. In capital letters, they read: ‘SHEEP IN WOLF’S CLOTHING’.

Baekhyun’s jaw dropped. Astounded, he whispered under his breath, “I knew it. I just knew it…”

Carefully, Yixing retrieved the notes from Baekhyun’s hands. As quickly as he could, he picked up some of his drafts from the floor. He did not mind it if his notes were crumpled or dirtied — as long as he could still keep them out of Baekhyun’s reach.

Baekhyun was still staring in astonishment but not shocked to the point where he was completely immobile. Rather, he became very curious. Gently pushing a chair out of the way, he paced towards Yixing.

“You probably didn’t want me to have seen anything just now...but I did,” said Baekhyun hesitantly. “Can I just ask...why have you never revealed that you’re the writer?”

Yixing became even more flustered and nervous. “Oh,” he laughed tensely. “It’s just...kind of awkward, isn’t it?”

While he kept walking backwards, Baekhyun kept advancing. “Maybe a little, but you were dropping so many hints along the way...the historical accuracy, the characters’ lines, and how much the main character resembles you…”

“Well, those parts aren’t even so embarrassing. What’s worse is...um…” Yixing’s voice trailed off, realizing that the piece of paper lying at Baekhyun’s feet was supposed to be a draft for part of an intimate scene between two of his characters.

Yixing’s eyes darted away, but Baekhyun still picked up on his line of vision. Crouching to pick it up, Baekhyun replied casually, “the smut?” He flipped to the back page and glanced at the contents. “Ah, that’s the tent scene, isn’t it? The vigorous fucking scene. I remember that one. It was iconic.”

By now Yixing’s face was as red as a tomato. “See, this is exactly the kind of conversation that I wasn’t ready for...that’s why I couldn’t possibly have told you that I was the author. I thought I’d just let you appreciate it without knowing I was behind it.”

Baekhyun giggled, feeling none of the awkwardness. “You’d still feel embarrassed about it even though you know how much I love it?”

“I’ve just always thought there’d be some sort of distance between me and my readers…” Yixing shrugged, continuing to take steps backward and shy away from Baekhyun as if to emphasize how important this ‘distance’ was. When his heel landed on a plastic water bottle, it produced loud, unpleasant squelching sounds which seemed to make Monami uncomfortable once again. Displeased, the cat gnarled at them lightly, getting ready to leap off the table. Wanting to get out of its way, Yixing took another step back. But then he tripped on the pesky water bottle and lost his balance altogether. Monami did not care about either human, choosing to scurry to the other side of the room in search of a more peaceful spot to occupy. Seeing as Yixing was about to fall, Baekhyun bolted to his side. Yixing clawed and tugged at Baekhyun’s shirt in a desperate attempt to maintain his balance. But alas, he failed and instead brought Baekhyun down with him, both of them tumbling to the ground clumsily. The notes and drafts in their hands fell too, scattered everywhere once again, while Baekhyun ended up on top of Yixing.

Baekhyun was aware that he was probably supposed to politely apologize, but he was not sorry. He was not the least bit sorry that he ended up in such a compromising position with the cute professor. Nor was he sorry that he suddenly felt the urge to kiss the cute professor, now that they were so close and literally chest to chest.

He leaned in a little, but then Yixing stopped him by placing a finger in front of his lips as if to shush him.

“I’m not the Jiashuai that you’ve been so smitten with.” Yixing was barely trying to resist Baekhyun; he only sought to provide a gentle reminder so that Baekhyun could be sure he knew what he was doing. Yixing maintained that he desired the ‘distance’ between himself and his readers, but the fact that he did not want any distance between himself and Baekhyun was enough to prove that he saw Baekhyun as much more than one of his most supportive readers.

Baekhyun reached up to hold Yixing’s hand, smoothly moving it out of the way. “I know,” he whispered sweetly, and kissed Yixing anyway.

Baekhyun’s lips were easily the softest, sweetest thing Yixing had ever tasted. Their lips were pressed together just like their bodies were, Yixing’s hand still in Baekhyun’s. Their hearts were thumping like crazy, the adrenaline coursing through their veins. This was really happening. It was so unexpected, but they would not have it any other way. Yixing wrapped an arm around Baekhyunee, allowing the younger boy to deepen the kiss. As Baekhyun did so, it felt so nice that he moaned a little into Yixing’s mouth. They were barely processing all of this, even as they paused for breath.

“Oh wow, I really did that,” said Baekhyun to himself, mirthful and proud.

“Yeah.” Yixing nodded, looking no less pleased. “Well, that was better than fiction.”

“I know you’re not a fictional character that I fanboy over. And I agree; you’re even better.” Baekhyun chuckled. “At least, you’re real.”

Yixing broke into a grin. “I admit, I wrote Jiashuai as an idealized version of myself, so maybe what I said just now wasn’t entirely true.”

Baekhyun smiled too once he saw Yixing’s dimple. “I can tell you and Jiashuai apart. I think I’m infatuated with Jiashuai, but I’m genuinely attracted to you, and I enjoy bonding with you.”

Yixing nodded contentedly. “The same way I know you and Hongxian aren’t one and the same,” he said, then added fondly, “the ‘Hong’ part of his name that means red...is for when I saw you wearing red the other day. When you were on your way to your grandmother’s house, remember?”

“Why...why did you decide to write a new character that resembles me so much?” Baekhyun asked.

“Well...just like Jiashuai, I don’t have a lot of friends. But when you came along, I felt understood and appreciated like never before,” Yixing explained. “Plus, you’re irresistible…” he pulled Baekhyun close and kissed him again, a soft peck on the lips. He fell too easily, but only for Baekhyun. “You know, I just reckon that I’m not good at communicating with the people around me, really,” he admitted, sighing lightly. But he was also smiling since he had Baekhyunee in his arms, even though they were lying on the floor in a puddle of notes and other documents. “But in my writing, I’m more comfortable with expressing my thoughts.”

“I can accept that,” Baekhyun replied. “As long as you’d be open to communicating with me no matter the format. I keep wanting get to know you better, but not just through Jiashuai.”

“Ah, then…?”

“Hmm...other ways.”

“For example?”

“Like, aren’t we supposed to grab dinner together?” Baekhyun giggled. “We can do that on a more regular basis. Or go to other places like the movies, or just cruising around, hold hands and make out...I believe some people like to call it ‘dating’.”

“Never heard of that. I only know about imperially-approved marriages and courtships set up by our families,” Yixing joked. “But with you, Baekhyunee, I’ll try to be more open with you. I’ll give this ‘dating’ thing a try.”

Satisfied, Baekhyun got up and dusted himself off, Yixing following suit. Monami reemerged and joined the two humans, producing a long meow as it stared intently at both of them.

Yixing giggled at the adorable cat and said to Baekhyun, “hey, what do you say I write Monami into my novel?”

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever baekxing fic so I could really use some encouragement! I appreciate all kudos and comments. Thanks for reading. ^^


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